A fire risk assessment should be kept under regular review and updated whenever there is reason to believe it may no longer accurately reflect the building, the people using it or the fire risks present. There is not one universal rule saying that every UK business must replace its fire risk assessment after exactly 12 months.
Changes to the building, occupancy, working practices, escape routes or fire-safety systems can all trigger the need for a review. Even where nothing obvious has changed, the assessment should still be reviewed regularly to make sure it remains suitable and sufficient.
For businesses, landlords and property managers across Horley, Reigate, Redhill, Crawley, Surrey and West Sussex, this guide explains:
- Whether fire risk assessments expire
- How often they should be reviewed
- What changes can trigger an immediate review
- Who is responsible for the assessment
- What should be recorded
- What happens after refurbishment or a change of use
- Why fire alarm and emergency lighting changes matter
- When a new assessment may be more appropriate than a simple review
- How fire-safety actions should be managed afterwards
- How JPEC Fire & Security can help
Does a fire risk assessment expire?
A fire risk assessment does not simply become invalid because a fixed expiry date printed on the document has passed.
The important requirement is that the assessment remains suitable and sufficient for the premises and is kept under review.
A review date can be useful for management purposes because it gives the responsible person a clear point at which to reconsider the assessment. However, that date should not encourage somebody to ignore important changes that happen before it arrives.
If the building or its risks change significantly next month, waiting until an annual review date may not be appropriate.
Is a fire risk assessment legally required every year?
There is not a general rule under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 stating that every workplace in England must have an entirely new fire risk assessment completed every 12 months.
The responsible person must carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment and keep it under review.
In practice, many organisations use scheduled reviews as part of their fire-safety management arrangements. The appropriate frequency depends on the premises, its risks and how likely circumstances are to change.
Higher-risk or frequently changing premises may justify more frequent attention than a small, stable workplace with relatively straightforward arrangements.
Who is responsible for reviewing the fire risk assessment?
The legal duty sits with the responsible person.
Depending on the premises, the responsible person may be an employer, owner, landlord, occupier, managing agent or another person who has control of the premises.
There can also be more than one responsible person within a building.
For example, a commercial building containing several separate businesses may involve responsibilities held by individual employers as well as a landlord or managing agent responsible for common areas.
Where responsibilities overlap, relevant parties need to cooperate and coordinate their fire-safety arrangements.
Can I appoint somebody else to carry out the assessment?
Yes. A responsible person can appoint a competent person to assist with carrying out or reviewing a fire risk assessment.
However, appointing somebody to carry out the assessment does not simply remove the responsible person’s legal responsibilities.
The responsible person should make sure that whoever they appoint has appropriate competence for the type and complexity of premises being assessed.
A straightforward small commercial unit and a large complex building can require very different levels of knowledge and experience.
What changes can trigger a fire risk assessment review?
A review may be needed whenever something significant changes that could affect fire risk or the precautions needed to keep people safe.
Examples can include:
- alterations to the building layout
- new partitions or rooms
- changes to escape routes
- changes in occupancy
- different work activities
- new machinery or equipment
- changes to storage arrangements
- new combustible materials
- changes to fire alarm or detection systems
- changes to emergency lighting
- changes to access-controlled doors
- refurbishment or extension work
The important question is whether the change could affect the original assessment or the fire precautions based on it.
Should a fire risk assessment be reviewed after refurbishment?
Potentially, yes. Refurbishment can change several things that were considered when the original fire risk assessment was completed.
Moving walls can change escape routes. New rooms can affect fire detection coverage. Altering ceilings can affect detectors and emergency lighting. New doors can affect compartmentation or escape arrangements.
A refurbishment may also change how many people use an area or what activities take place there.
Fire safety should therefore be considered during the project rather than waiting until all the building work is finished.
What if the business changes how it uses the building?
A significant change of use can be an important reason to review the assessment.
An area previously used as an office may begin storing stock. A workshop may introduce new equipment. A warehouse may change its racking or storage arrangements. A building may begin receiving substantially more visitors.
Even if the physical building has barely changed, the fire risks and people at risk may have changed considerably.
The assessment needs to reflect how the premises are actually being used now rather than how they were used when the document was originally written.
Does an increase in staff mean the assessment should be reviewed?
It can.
Changes in the number or characteristics of occupants can affect evacuation arrangements and the suitability of existing fire precautions.
The assessment should consider everyone who may be at risk, not only permanent employees.
Depending on the premises, that could include:
- visitors
- contractors
- customers
- members of the public
- people working alone
- people who may require assistance to evacuate
A substantial change in occupancy is therefore a sensible trigger for reviewing whether the existing arrangements remain appropriate.
Should the assessment be reviewed after a fire?
Yes. A fire or significant fire-related incident provides a clear reason to reassess the premises and existing precautions.
The circumstances surrounding the incident may reveal hazards or weaknesses that were not previously understood.
The review may need to consider how the fire started, how quickly it was detected, whether the alarm operated as expected, how people responded and whether escape arrangements worked effectively.
Any resulting improvements should then be properly recorded and implemented.
What about a serious false alarm or system failure?
Not every minor fault automatically means the whole fire risk assessment must be rewritten.
However, repeated false alarms, failures of important fire-safety equipment or other significant incidents can indicate that the existing arrangements need reconsideration.
For example, persistent unwanted fire alarm activations may require investigation into detector selection, environmental conditions, system design or maintenance.
The risk assessment and technical system maintenance serve different purposes, but information from one can influence the other.
Does changing the fire alarm mean the assessment needs reviewing?
It may do, particularly where the change affects the level or extent of fire detection and warning.
A fire alarm system is one of the measures that can be identified through the fire risk assessment.
If the building is extended, rooms are rearranged or the alarm system is substantially altered, the responsible person should consider whether the assumptions within the existing assessment remain accurate.
JPEC Fire & Security can assess fire alarm requirements alongside the wider fire-safety arrangements within the premises.
What about emergency lighting?
Emergency lighting supports safe escape if normal lighting fails.
If escape routes, internal walls, stairways or exits change, the existing emergency-lighting arrangement may no longer correspond with the current layout.
Changes should therefore be considered as part of the wider fire-safety review.
This does not mean the fire risk assessment replaces a proper emergency-lighting survey or technical assessment. They perform different functions but should support the same overall fire-safety strategy.
Should access-control changes trigger a review?
Potentially, particularly where controlled doors affect escape routes.
Installing electronic locks, magnetic locks, keypads or fob-controlled doors can change how people move through the building.
Where a controlled door forms part of the means of escape, its emergency operation needs to be considered carefully.
The fire alarm, access-control system and door hardware may need to interact in a particular way to maintain safe escape.
This is another reason why fire and security systems should not always be designed independently of each other.
What if nothing has changed?
The assessment should still be reviewed regularly.
A review gives the responsible person an opportunity to confirm that the information remains accurate and that the measures identified previously are still appropriate.
It can also identify gradual changes that are easy to overlook, such as increased storage, doors being obstructed, changes in staff, equipment being moved or maintenance arrangements becoming less effective.
A building can look broadly the same while the way it is used has slowly changed.
Do I need a completely new assessment every time?
Not necessarily.
Sometimes a review can confirm that the existing assessment remains suitable with relatively minor updates.
In other circumstances, the changes may be substantial enough that a more comprehensive reassessment is appropriate.
This could be the case following major refurbishment, significant changes of use, substantial alterations to occupancy or where the existing document is old, incomplete or no longer accurately describes the premises.
The extent of the work should reflect the extent of the change.
What should be recorded in a fire risk assessment?
Current fire-safety requirements in England require responsible persons to record their fire risk assessment in full, including the findings, rather than only recording selected significant findings.
Fire-safety arrangements for the premises also need to be recorded.
If a fire risk assessor is appointed to assist with the assessment, information identifying that assessor should also be recorded.
Good records make it easier to understand what was assessed, what actions were identified and what has changed when the document is reviewed later.
What should happen to actions identified by the assessment?
A fire risk assessment should not simply be completed, filed away and forgotten.
Where improvements are identified, they need to be considered and addressed appropriately according to the level of risk.
Recommendations may relate to:
- escape routes and exits
- fire doors
- fire detection and alarm systems
- emergency lighting
- signage
- firefighting equipment
- housekeeping and storage
- staff information and training
- maintenance arrangements
Some actions may be straightforward management changes, while others may require specialist design, installation or remedial work.
Is a fire risk assessment the same as a fire alarm service?
No. They are different activities.
A fire risk assessment considers the wider fire risks and precautions within the premises.
A fire alarm service focuses on the condition and operation of the fire detection and alarm system.
Having a regularly serviced alarm does not remove the need for an appropriate fire risk assessment. Equally, having a current fire risk assessment does not mean fire alarm equipment can be left without appropriate testing and maintenance.
The two should support each other as part of the building’s overall fire-safety management.
What about blocks of flats?
The Fire Safety Order applies to relevant common parts of multi-occupied residential buildings, and the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the assessment can also need to consider the building’s structure, external walls and flat entrance doors between domestic premises and common parts.
Additional requirements can apply to certain multi-occupied residential buildings under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
Residential blocks can therefore involve requirements beyond those applying to a straightforward office or shop.
Landlords, freeholders and managing agents should make sure the assessment is appropriate for the particular building rather than relying on generic commercial fire-safety advice.
Can I use an old fire risk assessment from the previous owner?
An existing assessment can provide useful information, but it should not simply be assumed to remain suitable because a document exists.
A new owner, occupier or business may use the building differently.
Staff numbers, layouts, equipment, storage, escape arrangements and fire-safety systems may also have changed.
The responsible person should make sure the assessment reflects the current premises and current risks.
If its accuracy or suitability is uncertain, arranging a professional review is sensible.
JPEC Fire & Security can help
JPEC Fire & Security carries out fire risk assessments for businesses, landlords, managing agents and organisations across Horley, Reigate, Redhill, Crawley, Surrey, West Sussex and surrounding areas.
We can assess fire hazards, people at risk, escape arrangements and existing fire precautions, providing clear written findings and prioritised recommendations.
Where the assessment identifies technical fire-safety requirements, JPEC Fire & Security can also provide fire alarm systems, smoke detection, emergency lighting, AOV and smoke-control systems, access control and other relevant fire and security services.
This allows the assessment and any subsequent technical work to be considered as part of the wider fire-safety arrangements for the premises.
If you already have a fire risk assessment but are unsure whether it needs reviewing, we can assess what has changed and advise on the appropriate next step.
To arrange a fire risk assessment or discuss an existing assessment, contact JPEC Fire & Security.
This article provides general information and is not a substitute for a premises-specific fire risk assessment or legal advice. Fire-safety responsibilities and appropriate review arrangements should be confirmed for the individual building and circumstances.
